


Familiar Aches

by SirSpectre (RandomUsername13)



Series: Where the Deep Meets the Sky [2]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, Multi, Pasta, She's the best, colonel the chicken - Freeform, had to throw in some angst at the end, honestly just building up to big fic in the future, it's an inside/old joke between the two, lots of pasta, not at all serious, some descriptions of pain?, starts off just to be kinda fluffy, the flirting between Ariz and Cayde is done jokingly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 15:02:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16266635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomUsername13/pseuds/SirSpectre
Summary: Ariz is stubbornly staying put in a painful, if not snuggily, situation. And honestly his ghost, and Cayde, are having none of it.





	Familiar Aches

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own destiny and all that jazz

           His back burned, there was no other way to describe it. Searing pain spread across his shoulders and down his spine, slowly infecting the rest of his body with it’s deep ache. The pain was enough to bring tears to his eyes, but Ariz kept them back and his mouth tightly shut. Kieran, Saint, and Qevec were fast asleep, and he didn’t want to risk waking them. It didn’t matter that hands were pressed against the scar on his back, causing pain through his whole body- they didn’t even know it existed, and he wasn’t feeling up to telling them now. It’d only make them worry.

 

           Once again, Ariz shifted closer to the chest in front of him, trying to get away from the pressure only for arms to wrap around him tighter- pressing up against the old wound again. He’d woken up like this, in the dark, surrounded, and in pain. He’d almost summoned the light deep within him before he, luckily, realized the figures holding him hostage were the very ones he cherished most in the world. 

 

So, instead he just laid there… in silence… and in pain.

 

           Not the best plan, but he didn’t want them to know, he didn’t want them to worry or feel bad. He could handle it, he could wait until morning or whenever something woke them. He could deal with the pain until then… 

  
  


           “You  _ could _ get up,” His ghost quietly reminded him, “Say one of the vanguard needed you or something.”

 

           “Don’t wanna disturb them,” Ariz whispered back, “Besides, they’d want proof, or to at the very least challenge the vanguard to keep me here.”

 

           “Call Cayde, he’d back you up in a heartbeat!”

 

           “... I don’t want to disturb them.” There was a long stretch of silence before his ghost sighed, materializing above him.

 

           “Calling Cayde now.”

 

           “Wait- wait no-”

 

           “Heya, warlock, what’s got you calling me so late? Decided to make your four a five?” His ghost lowered the volume, making certain it wouldn’t wake the others. Ariz groaned, slumping back against the bed in defeat. His ghost cared too much for him for his own good.

 

           “Ariz is currently caught in a  _ very _ painful cuddle position and can’t get up without an excuse.” The warlock in question shot a glare up at his ghost the best he could, getting a twinkling eye in response. 

 

           “Ah, gotcha! AHEM,” His ghost raised the volume, Cayde obviously getting ready for the performance of a lifetime. “Guardian! I need you for some very important and very top secret vanguard duty! Immediately- and only you! No one else! So… get on it.” 

 

           “Understood.” Ariz grumbled, slowly sitting up and worming his way out of his partner’s grasps. 

 

           “No, don’t go.” Qevec whined, reaching up towards him- having woken up the second Ariz started moving. 

 

           “Can’t this wait until morning?” Kieran asked, rubbing at one of his eyes. 

 

           “Nope, super important and super secret.” Cayde piqued up,

 

           “Please don’t tell me you’re gonna try to win over Ariz with a candlelit dinner… again.” Saint mumbled, rolling over onto his back. “Cause I dunno if i’mma be awake enough to eat the leftovers when he gets back.”

 

           “Nada, vanguard business only!” Ariz managed to get out of the warm, if painful, tangle of limbs he’d been trapped in, tripping only once as he made his way to the closet to get dressed. 

 

           “That’s definitely what’s happening- can it be italian?” Qevec asked, snuggling into the warm pillow where Ariz just was. “I’m in an italian mood.”

 

           “I told you, it’s vanguard business! But… if italian happens to come up during this super secret business, what would you prefer?”

 

           Kieran groaned, pulling the blanket over his head while the two chatted. Ariz quickly pulled on his robes and boots, poking his ghost when he was ready. 

 

           “Alright, I think I got it all- not that italian will be happening, but yeah. See you in ten, warlock!” Ariz’s ghost dematerialized as the call ended, Kieran lowering the blanket to look tiredly up at the warlock himself. 

  
  


           “Hurry back alright?” Ariz couldn’t help but smile, taking one of his hands to give it a gentle squeeze. 

 

           “I’ll be back before you notice.” He promised before turning to leave. No sooner was his hand on the doorknob than Qevec called out.

 

           “I’ve noticed!” Ariz rolled his eyes, leaving the safety of home behind him and into the cold night. 

 

* * *

 

 

           “I didn’t think you were being serious- I have no idea why, but I didn’t.” Ariz was torn between laughing and sighing as he stared at the picnic blanket before him, at least thirty candles set up on or around it, three italian meals in takeout boxes, one large plate of pasta, and a Cayde-6 lounged out on the blanket with a fake rose in his mouth and a chicken on his head. 

 

           “Really, you should know me better by now.” The rose fell from his mouth as he spoke, Ariz finally deciding to just laugh to himself as he lifted Colonel from the exo’s head and settled her into his arms. 

 

           “I should, do appreciate the free meal though.” Ariz settled down across from him, petting the chicken idly while Cayde sat up. “I  _ am _ curious though to how Holiday allows you to do this in her hangar.” 

 

           “She loves me! And this was not the only food I ordered, she may or may not be scarfing down who knows how much lasagna in her room right now. I know, I ordered it, you don’t want to know how much lasagna she’s eating.” 

 

           Ariz laughed again, setting Colonel down and stacking the three to-go boxes scattered around them. The pair sat together in silence for a while, Cayde fiddling with the fake rose while Ariz absentmindedly pet Colonel until she wandered out of his reach- instead opting to pick at the pasta plate between them. 

  
  


           “So… what exactly happened?” Cayde finally asked, spinning the rose between his fingers like a knife. 

 

           “Woke up to someone’s hand and elbow shoved against my scar,” Ariz mumbled, “Couldn’t get up, then my ghost decided to intervene.”

 

           “Ah, ghosts, heroes to us all, thank the little buddy for me, will ya? Free date and all.” Silence stretched between them again for a moment before Cayde sighed, stopping his fiddling to sit up cross-legged and look Ariz the best he could in the eyes. 

 

           “Is it getting worse? Honestly, it’s just you and me, Ikora and the others won’t hear a peep from me.”

 

           “Yes. It is, the discoloration has spreaded and… it hurts more now, doesn’t just take a touch or some light to make it hurt, sometimes it just… hurts.” 

 

           “Damn.” Cayde shook his head a little, looking off to the side for a minute before getting to his feet.

 

           “Listen, kid, obviously I’m not the most wise of the group or anything like that, but…” He sat down right next to Ariz, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think this is something you should just keep to yourself, I mean… It’s some pretty heavy stuff, and I may not always be able to sweep you off your feet at a moment's notice. Except that I will, because I’d take any chance to run away from vanguard duty as we all know, but still.”

 

           Ariz managed a small smile at the little joke, looking down into his lap and reaching up with one hand to cover Cayde’s own. 

 

           “I know, I just… there’s nothing they can do- and don’t say I don’t know that, I do… I know that.” Ariz swallowed thickly, closing his eyes to compose himself for a moment. “If I tell the vanguard, the rest of them, they’ll take me off missions and watch me like a glass figure about to break at any moment. If I tell Qevec, or Saint, or Kieran  _ any _ of it then… I’ll have to watch them drive themselves into the ground trying to do the impossible. I don’t want them to do that, I don’t want them to spend my last months or days wasting their time or-or trying to make things special or anything I’d… I’d just want it to be normal, so I’d rather not tell them.”

 

           Cayde squeezed his shoulder gently, letting go of it a moment after to scoot close enough for their shoulders to bump together. Colonel pecked a few more times at the pasta before sitting down where she sat, staring blankly up at the pair. 

 

           “I get ya, I do, If I were in your shoes I’d imagine I’d do the same,” Cayde mumbled, “But at the same time, it doesn’t sit well with me that you’re suffering practically alone in silence. So, I guess that just means…” 

 

           Cayde reached over, tilting Ariz’s head towards him and tucking the rose behind his ear.

           “Your four’s gonna have to become a five.” 

 

           Ariz stared at him for a moment before busting out into laughter, almost slamming his head against Cayde’s horn as he doubled over. Cayde grinned in only the way he could, patting him on the back.

 

           “What? It couldn’t be that bad! C’mon!” He jokingly protested, lightly punching Ariz in the arm when he sat back up. “Is this about the knife thing? You know that’s how hunters ask people out.”

 

           “You hit each of us with a knife, and me with  _ two _ , if course it’s about the knife thing!” Ariz teased back, lightly elbowing him. “Never change Cayde, promise me that?”

 

           “Hey, why would anyone change perfection?” Ariz shook his head, leaning back on his hands. “But seriously, I’m here if you need me ok? Holiday too- she gets the whole ‘i don’t wanna stay in the tower’ dramatic spiel thing, we’re here for you, honestly.”

 

           “I’ll keep that in mind, thank you Cayde.”

 

           “Don’t mention it, now are we gonna eat this pasta, or are we gonna let Colonel have it?” Ariz laughed a little before pulling the plate over, passing a fork to Cayde. Colonel rested her head, watching the two as chickens do.

 

* * *

  
  


           “Hey! Warlock! Ariz!” Ariz paused, glancing back to see an overly excited Cayde running towards him, offering a smile as he waited for him to catch up. 

 

           “Morning, you look like you just ran half-way across the tower,” Ariz commented idly,

 

           “That’s because… I did… woo, just uh, just give me a second.” Cayde placed his hands on his hips, bending over a bit to catch his breath. 

 

           “No problem. By the way, the others said thanks for the italian, though Kieran is a bit unnerved by the fact you knew his order without him even telling you.”

 

           “Pshh, just look at him, total penne with marinara guy.” Cayde waved his hand, straightening up at last with one last ‘wooh’. 

           “Besides that, I’ve got news! You, and me, Prison of Elders, prison break.”

 

           “We’re orchestrating a prison break at the Prison of Elders?” Ariz raised a brow, “Not that I’m saying no, but aren’t all of humanity’s, and like everyone else’s, enemies locked up in there?” 

 

           “No, no, no, there’s been a prison break- or riot maybe? Whatever, there’s stuff going on at the Prison of Elders and guess who Petra Venj called to help her out with it?!” Cayde held his arms out, waiting for a response.

 

           “Us?”

 

           “Us, boom!” Cayde through his arms down for dramatic effect before slinging one around Ariz’s shoulder, “Two of the best guardians alive, stopping the worst the universe has to offer, off in a distant land with no vanguard supervision. Someone’s bound to fall in love.”

 

           Ariz snorted, slinging his arm around Cayde’s shoulder as well. 

 

           “Well then, what are we waiting for?” Ariz smiled, “I have my gear, and a prison riot-break won’t wait forever for us.”

 

           “Woo! Prison time! Let’s go!” Cayde shouted, pulling out his ghost and running towards the edge of the tower, trasmatting himself into his ship as he jumped off the edge. Rolling his eyes, Ariz followed suit, sending a quick message to the others as he did. 

  
  
  


‘Cayde and I going to Prison of Elders, little bit of fun, be back soon. Love you.’


End file.
